I did leak during my first pregnancy and gushed continually for the first few months after she was born. I think I still needed breast pads for about a year, although was only leaking a few drops by then.
I spent a fortune on disposable breastpads and don't want to use them again.
Has anyone got on well with washables. So far I've got a few pairs from 'weenotions' that are triple layered with a soft cotton fabric next to the skin. They seem to be full (heavy) by the end of a day and smell quite a lot. I've also got a pair of pure wool ones (expensive!) that I've worn for a couple of nights. They seem to hold the leaks well but are leaving the skin around my nipples quite red and blotchy.
I know this is all trivial in the grand scheme of things and will have to work out a way of coping once I'm actually feeding (it was a case of stuffing my bra with whatever I could find while feeding from the other side with DD, and I can't remember what I did to protect the mattress!). Perhaps disposables are the answer but I'm willing to spend a bit on reusable if anyone has found really good ones.